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By: The Honest Consumer

It’s that time of year again, the Nashville air is crisp and pumpkin spice is rampant! Holiday shopping is upon us. Nashville is lucky to have a community of talented makers who use their creativity to give back. This holiday season shop local while giving a gift with a story. Listed below are five social impact companies founded in Nashville that are making a difference. Luckily, all of these wonderful vendors and many more will be at The Good Makers Market on November 19th. Join us for shopping, music, and food trucks from 11am-3pm at 41 Peabody Street.

Light Shine Candles
Candles are a classic holiday gift and a must have for hosting winter parties. A portion of Light Shine Candle’s proceeds go to community development in El Salvador. After living in El Salvador and working with Global Outreach Developments International, Anna wanted to find a way to continue giving back to the communities she had worked with. This family oriented entrepreneur founded Light Shine candles based on her grandma's candle recipe and a desire to giveback. Light Shine Candles are made with non-GMO soy, a cotton wick, a made in the USA glass jar, free of dyes and phthalates, and hand poured in Old Hickory, Tennessee.

Photo: @lightshinecandles

BRANDED Collective
Jewelry is the perfect accessory for anyone on your gifting list. BRANDED Collective empowers survivors of human trafficking in the Nashville area through job training and employment. Survivors learn the art of jewelry making and are paid a fair wage for crafting these beautiful goods. BRANDED Collective jewelry raises awareness and takes a stand against the physical branding that some survivors have experienced. Each piece is stamped with the initials of the survivor who crafted the piece allowing customers the opportunity to learn about the woman who made their jewelry. Customers can also register the unique number on their jewelry on the BRANDED Collective website and send the woman a message of hope. Currently BRANDED Collective carries cuffs, necklaces, and earrings.

Photo: @brandedcollective

Newly
This holiday season give to the environment by gifting Newly home goods. Newly is an up and coming brand that specializes in home goods made from recycled materials. This innovative brand was started by five friends right here in Nashville. Newly currently carries cutting boards, glassware, blankets, and acrylic trays all made from recycled materials. By first touch customers would never guess that Newly’s blankets are made out of recycled plastic water bottles and recycled cotton. These blankets are incredibly soft, cozy, and perfect for the winter weather.
 Photo: @newlygoods

Humphreys Street
Want to give gift that give back to Nashville communities? Be sure to check out Humphreys Street soaps & coffee. Humphreys Street works with the community of Wedgewood Houston and South Nashville in partnership with the non-profit Harvest Hands Community Development Corporation. Humphreys Street provides job training and employment for local youth in these neighborhoods, reinvesting 100% of profits in supporting the growth of the students and their community. This program give youth a fair paying wage and a positive environment to thrive in. Through this program students have been able to find themselves, make new friends, and some have even journeyed on to college. Humphreys Street sells products made by the youth which include coffee, bar soap, hand soap, and laundry detergent.  Their holiday soap smells are fabulous and the perfect size for stocking stuffers.

Photo: @humphreysstreet

Haiti Made
Beautifully crafted leather goods are a great gift for just about anyone! Haiti Made creates a variety of high quality leather products such as journals, bags, bracelets, and home goods. While Haiti Made’s founders may reside in Nashville, their impact expands far beyond Tennessee providing fair wages and opportunities to Haitians. Haitians are empowered to learn new skills and lift themselves out of poverty through sustainable employment. Materials are sourced locally in Haiti positively contributing to the economic development of the country as a whole. Each product is handmade with love and care by one of Haiti Made’s hardworking, talented artisans. Employment opportunities with Haiti Made give artisans the opportunity to provide for their families.  


Photo: @haitimade

Meet these makers and other socially minded vendors at the Good Makers Market on November 19th. The Good Makers Market is curated by the Nashville Entrepreneur Center and the Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance. This event will take place near downtown Nashville at 41 Peabody Street from 11am-3pm. Bring your friends & family too! This free, family-friendly event will have shopping, food trucks, live music, & FREE parking on site. Click here for more information about the event.

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Emily Waddell is a senior Social Entrepreneurship major at Belmont University. During her sophomore year of college, she founded The Honest Consumer which shares the stories of social enterprises, spreads the word of ethically made goods, and empowers consumers. Upon graduation, Emily plans to continue her mission of bridging the gap between products and consumers. Check out The Honest Consumer here and follow Emily on Instagram @thehonestconsumer. 

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